Category: News

It was the little comic They Couldn’t Kill – until now. Amazing Spider-Girl ends at issue #30, but there is still life left for May Parker, plus:

Stephen King’s Talisman comes to comics
A cool Aliens/Predator package on DVD this week
Something for everyone (really) in the comic shops tomorrow

And what three titles do we feel are this week’s Best Bets? They are NOT from DC or Marvel, but you can find out who publishes them when you Press the Button!
 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via or RSS!

Home Media Magazine has reported that Platinum Studios has formed an advisory board, featuring a dozen executives from print and mass media to help CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg guide their print-to-film projects.

“The vast experience and success with various forms of entertainment that each advisory board member brings with them will allow Platinum to access additional contacts in the film, television, online, retail and video game industries and in development of the 5,600 comic characters and storylines in the Platinum Studios portfolio,” Rosenberg said. “I am excited by each and every member’s willingness to join the Advisory Board and support Platinum in a more formal role.”

Rosenberg’s ambitious total includes Platinum-generated properties in addition to other comic publishers’ whose film rights they represent such as the forthcoming Witchblade film based on the Top Cow character.

The board is comprised of Richard Fowkes, head of business affairs for Legendary Pictures and former EVP in charge of business affairs for the motion picture group at Paramount Pictures; Andrea Hein, former president of Viacom Consumer Products and current EVP of First Wives World; Mark Canton, former chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment and current chairman of Atmosphere Entertainment; Michael Helfant, former president and COO of Marvel Studios; John W. Hyde, former president and CEO of Film Roman and current chairman of Rehab Incorporated; Gale Anne Hurd, chairwoman of Valhalla Motion Pictures; Jerry Katzman, former vice chairman of William Morris Agency; Steve Milo, former president of new media for Marvel Comics; Ed Dille, chairman of Fog Studios; Gareb Shamus, founder of Wizard Entertainment; Charlie Weber, former CEO of Lucasfilm; and Glenn Rigberg, president of Rigberg Entertainment Group.

Platinum has angered creators over payments and legal issues stemming form their recent purchase of Wowio.  While they continue to publish comics both in print and on the web, none have broken through as major creative successes. They do have numerous projects in various stages of development.  Most notable among the list is Cowboys & Aliens which DreamWorks is developing and has Robert Downey, Jr. attached to star.

Platinum was formed in 1997 after Rosenberg exited Malibu Comics in the wake of its purchase by Marvel Comics.  He has been slow to develop Platinum through the years and didn’t really begin releasing titles until late 2006 despite years of development. On September 25, 2006, Platinum pruchased DrunkDuck, a webcomics site and began a strong didigtal initiative that led to the purchase earlier this year of Wowio.

Their media initivative has been limited to the Showtime series Jeremiah, based on a European properrty licensed by the studio. Platinum Studios posted net losses of $4.3 million in 2006 and $5.1 million in 2007.
 

Torchwood Magazine has the first scoop on the newest members joining season three of the popular spinoff from Doctor Who. The five-episode serial, Children of the Earth, has been shooting since late August with a 2009 airdate to be announced,

Producer Peter Bennett walked readers through the four starting with Lucy Cohu (Cape Wrath) who will play Alice, "a woman keeping many secrets from the past".

Susan Brown (The Riff Raff Element) will be Bridget Spears – "a character vitally connected to the government, which plays an important part in this story".

First-time performers complete the cast: Cush Jumbo as Lois Habiba, "a secretary who hacks into some vital information", and Rik Makarem, playing Doctor Rupesh Patanjali, a "junior doctor at St Helen’s hospital who gets drawn into Torchwood’s investigations".
 

This week’s Mutts storyline takes a political tone as creator Patrick McDonnell campaigns in favor of California’s Proposition 2, which is aimed at curbing factory farm abuses. Mutts,  found in 700+ newspapers in 20 countries, is read by four million Californians no doubt distracted more by presidential politics than the proposition.

Michael Markarian spoke with McDonnell at the Huffington Post about this unusual activism for the one page of the newspaper that usually eschews offending anyone.

“In Mutts I try to see the world through the eyes of animals,” he told the site. “This has made me more conscious of how tough many of them have it on this planet. In 2000 I was asked to join the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States, and became even more aware and involved. I felt that my strip could address (hopefully, for the most part, in an entertaining way) some of these issues and help give the animals a voice.

“Prop 2 is just too important to not tackle. Even though the reform will be modest, it puts a stake into the ground that the way we treat farm animals matters…20 million animals will be directly impacted, suffering less, if this measure passes. It will also send a clear message to the factory farm conglomerates that, once people are made aware, they will not tolerate the way most animals raised for food are treated in this country.”

Newsarama reports that further issues of the Fringe comic book series will be delayed until January. The first issue hit stands on September 3, timed to the Fox series’ debut, but due to a desire to adhere closely to the television series, DC Comics has decided to push back subsequent issues.

"The writers of the show want to make sure the comic book is integrated into the mythology of the Fringe world, so we have decided to refocus the direction of the comic book," announced Hank Kanalz, VP-General Manager of DC’s WildStorm imprint.

"Unfortunately, this means that we will have some delays," he continued, "but [the series] will be back in January."

According to Fringe‘s co-story consultant Athena Wickham, the TV series’ comic book companion "will consist of two parts. Part A will tell the back-story of two of our key characters: Walter Bishop and William Bell. Part B will consist of stand-alone stories. Readers will be introduced to a range of characters — from those at the epicenter of the pilot to others who might not live to make a series appearance."

Fringe is a science fiction procedural drama that also features over-arching story elements. The television series focuses on Agent Olivia Dunham and scientific father-son duo Walter and Peter Bishop as they investigate mysterious happenings related to a phenomenon called "The Pattern." It was recently picked up for a full 22 episode season.

The first issue of the comic book series was written by Zack Whedon, Julia Cho, Alex Katsnelson and Denielle Dispaltro, with art from Tom Mandrake and Simon Coleby. The issue contained two short stories. "Like Minds" focused on the meeting of Walter Bishop and William Bell. "The Prisoner" depicts a Lost Highway inspired twist when a man wakes up in a prison cell in someone else’s body.

Variety reports that director Ridley Scott will helm The Forever War, based on Joe Haldeman’s 1974 novel of the same name. The film will be Scott’s first foray into science fiction since Alien and Blade Runner.

Scott admits that he intended to film The Forever War nearly, well, forever ago.

"I first pursued Forever War 25 years ago, and the book has only grown more timely and relevant since," said Scott.

"It’s a science-fiction epic," he continued, "a bit of The Odyssey by way of Blade Runner, built upon a brilliant, disorienting premise."

The novel’s plot centers on "a soldier who battles an enemy in deep space for only a few months, only to return home to a planet he doesn’t recognize some 20 years later." Forever Free and Forever Peace were two other novels set in the the same reality in addition to the novella A Separate War. The novel has also been adapted into a three-volume graphic novel by the Belgian comics creator Marvano which saw an English edition years ago.

The Forever War has been in development for, you guessed it, forever. Shortly after the novel’s publication, Richard Edlund picked up the rights to the film with the intention of making it his directorial debut. When the film never entered production, the Sci Fi Channel attempted a miniseries that also hit a stalemate. Scott eventually secured the rights, and the film will now be produced by Scott Free with executive producers Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza, whose company Created By represents Haldeman.

Ridley Scott himself has a project slate that extends from now until, that’s right, forever. The director is set to helm Nottingham starring Russell Crowe as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. He also was recently attached to an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, which would have marked his first science fiction film in over three decades had The Forever War fallen through. Scott is also circling Child 44 and Gucci. His latest film, Body of Lies, debuted last Friday to unexpectedly poor box office numbers.

On a side note, check out the cover to The Forever War. Doesn’t that look exactly like Benicio Del Toro? While it’s too early to talk about casting, who wouldn’t want to see good ol’ BDT in a space odyssey?